A World of Trouble
by Elephant Travels
Summary: Taylor was just a woman trying to start fresh and live her life again. Owen just wanted to be left alone to do his job. Thrust together for work on the most dangerous island on the world lines become blurred and love blossoms but how long can it last when they suddenly find themselves in the middle of an unprecedented disaster!
1. Chapter 1

The sky was the clearest blue I had ever seen, cloudless and perfect as I gaze up into it. The sun beating down hotly upon me in a way that made my skin tingle and the sweat was trickling slowly down my back but I didn't care, I couldn't find it within me to feel anything other than excitement and a tiny amount of fear. I was really here! The thought sends little thrills rushing through my entire body and I have to supress the gasp that wants to escape me as I peer across the horizon and get my first glimpse of the legendary island.

I had grown up listening to stories about Jurassic park and it had both terrified and fascinated me even as a small child. My parents weren't best pleased that my fascination only grew and I began studying palaeontology earning my degree and taking a job at the Natural History Museum in London. For the first year, I loved it but soon began to get itchy feet, wanting to travel and see the world with my work, all that changed though four years ago when my parents died. A car accident, they veered off the road on their way home from a weekend away and that was that. I was alone. I had spent the last four years buried in my work, pushing my wanderlust to the back of my mind and trying to forget all the pain and hurt. It didn't help that at the same time as I lost my parents I found out that my boyfriend was cheating on me. How's that for tragic, finding out your parents are dead, rushing over to your boyfriend's house for support and finding him in bed with some other woman. Since then I had locked myself away from people, no good could come from forging relationships, only pain and grief.

My whole life changed, for a second time, three weeks ago when I had a visit from a Mr Masrani offering me the job of a lifetime. Of course, I knew they had opened Jurassic world, the whole world knew it and a lot of them had visited it. In the last two years, the place had gone from strength to strength and I had heard rumours within the industry of new species being created too. I had sighed when I first heard of its opening thinking about how much I longed to work there, how at one time I would have pushed and pushed for a job there until they gave in, that was a long time ago though and I was a broken shell now, a shadow of the confident out going woman I used to be. So, when I was offered the job I hesitated. I hesitated where once I would have jumped for joy and it had taken him a further three days to convince me.

Standing here now though I wonder how I could ever have hesitated, how I could have been so worried when packing up my life and shipping it over here. As soon as I stepped foot on this boat I felt freer than I had in years and I breathed what felt like the first real breath I had in years. An excitement I had begun to think I would never feel again was bubbling inside me as I stepped off the boat and onto the shoreline along with hundreds of happy tourists all longing to get their first glimpse of a dinosaur. A real life, moving, breathing dinosaur.

"Miss Ducane," the female voice startles me out of my wonder and I glance up to see a very beautiful woman wearing the most impeccable outfit I had ever seen moving towards me.

"Yes," I answer, feeling suddenly self-conscious about my denim shorts, vest top and walking boots. My long blonde hair was tied haphazardly in a messy bun and I was as usual wearing very minimal make up.

"I'm so glad you accepted our offer, we look forward to your input," she smiles and I smile back albeit nervously.

"I'm not sure how much help I will be," I say quietly, "my life has been spent working with bones rather than the real things," I add by way of explanation.

"Don't worry about that, you'll learn quickly and I have some of the best to help you," she says confidently and I attempt to smile confidently back at her.

"Right, well… what's the first step then?" I ask in an attempt to keep things business like and professional.

"I'll take you to meet your team and then they'll show you to your accommodation, your stuff has already arrived and has been placed in your new home," she says and I smile again before following her to the SUV and jumping into the passenger's seat. For a while we are silent as we drive further and further away from the resort and into what looks like the wilderness.

"So…" I start after a while, "my team?" I ask,

"I know you have spent time looking at all carnivores but we thought your time would be best spent studying the raptors, there are a team working with them and they need someone to… take charge," she explains and I gulp a little. Two things terrified me about what she had said, firstly running a team meant getting to know people, forging relationships with them, not something I was good at anymore or wanted to do for that matter. Secondly, working with real life killing machines like raptors was, well, obviously, it was terrifying, if not a little thrilling too.

"There are problems in the team then?" I ask hesitantly,

"Not exactly, but the head trainer, Owen Grady, he, well, he needs keeping in check," she says and I get the impression there is a lot more that she wants to say about him but wasn't, out of professionalism I guess.

Before I can ask anything else we drive out into a huge clearing and are suddenly parking in front of an enormous paddock with people milling around everywhere.

"Claire, what are you doing here?" a gruff voice asks before I have even stepped out of the car and I turn to see the most handsome man to have ever existed striding towards us. Jesus, it should be illegal to look that gorgeous.

"Mr Grady," Claire replies coldly and I watch as he comes to a stop in front of us barely sparing me a glance as they stare each other out. So, there was a history between the two of them then, I'm not surprised they're both stunning, my stomach drops a little at the thought although I'm not sure why, I wasn't looking for anything, I couldn't, I couldn't trust anyone, not anymore.

"How can I help you?" he asks eventually and she gestures to me with a flick of her hand and I feel my shoulders slump further at the attention now focussed on me, his eyes so impossibly blue and intense that I cannot hold his gaze, my own quickly dropping to the floor.

"This is Taylor Ducane, she is now in charge of the assets here and for making sure everything gets done properly," Claire says and the answering growl from him is all the prove I need to know that this man, and I'm guessing the others do not want me here.

"You've got to be kidding," he explodes after a moment and I shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"Taylor is more than competent and will be a good influence on the whole team," she insists and he snorts with laughter.

"How do you expect her to keep us in check, let alone work with raptors she looks like she's scared of her own shadow?" he asks and I feel myself bristle with indignation.

"I'm right here you know," I bite out quietly and he stills slightly staring at me again, "appearances can be deceptive Mr Grady," I add with a tight smile, I think maybe this island would be good for me, I was already becoming more of myself again. Sure, before the accident, before everything, I would have probably punched him in the face for that comment but a biting comment is more than I had managed in a long time.

"I'm sorry miss, I just don't think you'll fit here," he says having the good grace to at least look a little guilty whilst still offending me at the same time.

"Well maybe you should at least give me a week to give it a go before you make your final judgement," I say and he stares at me for a moment longer, finally nodding before storming off with Claire hot on his heels.

"Don't worry about Owen, he'll come around," a voice says startling me and I spin to see a tall, handsome man standing in front of me. Seriously, what is it with this island and gorgeous men?

"I don't know, he seems pretty set on not giving me the chance to dissuade him in anyway from his premade opinions of me," I sigh before jumping a little at the squeal behind me.

"You wanna come meet the girls?" he asks instead of really replying to my statement and I nod apprehensively as I follow him slowly towards the paddock and stop gaping in awe at the beasts that were standing in the centre apparently awaiting their food.

"Wow," I whisper after a while and I can see him grinning at me out of the corner of my eye.

"My name's Barry by the way and I for one am looking forward to working with you," he smiles and I smile too although I am unable and unwilling to take my eyes off the creatures in front of me.

"Taylor," I reply holding my hand out to him, still keeping my eyes fixed on the raptors, which he takes firmly in his own.

"Come on then, apparently, I'm a chauffeur now too and I need to show you to your living quarters," I recognise the voice immediately, its sarcasm laced in honey and I hated that it already made me weak at the knees. I sigh and nod and tear my gaze away from the raptors in front of me following him silently to the truck and getting into the passenger seat.

For a while we sit in silence, the oppressive heat feeling like nothing compared to the oppression of the silence.

"I'm sorry," I say after a while and he quirks an eyebrow at me before staring back at the dirt road in front of him.

"For what?" he asks after another short silence and I almost smile at the fact that he is clearly trying really hard to be polite despite the fact that I could feel the animosity rolling off of him.

"For inconveniencing you, for annoying you," I break off and sigh, "for clearly doing something that makes you hate me on sight," I say and it is his turn to sigh,

"Look erm…"  
"Taylor,"

"Taylor, it's nothing personal but…" he starts and I hold a hand up to stop him speaking,

"I understand it's okay, you don't need anyone coming in and telling you what to do," I say and he snorts a little as if that is the biggest understatement ever.

"I imprinted on those raptors when they were born, I'm their alpha and I don't need some pencil pusher to come in now," he breaks off to make a turn and check the documents he had with him before sighing again and resuming his driving. This man had an impossible ego and was beginning to irritate me a little.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I was good at what I do too? Or that I wasn't coming here with the intention of bossing you all around just to fit in and offer help?" I ask forcing a sweetness that I didn't feel into my voice and he glances at me again before pulling to a stop outside a mobile home unit.

"This is it," he says jumping out of the truck and at least having the good grace to grab my bag out of the back and haul it up the stairs where he dumps it by the door before turning to face me. "Here are your keys, your ID card and login details, I'm just over there," he stops pointing at the only other residence I can see, another mobile home about one hundred yards down the road.

"Right," I nod, not really knowing what else to say.

"You got a vehicle?" he asks and I nod again,

"My triumph is being shipped, they said it would be here by the time I was," I say and for a second he looks impressed but he tries to cover it.

"You ride?" he says before he can stop himself and I smile a tiny amount,

"I told you, appearances can be deceptive," I say and he frowns again almost immediately, okay then apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

"I'll check when I get back to the office and make sure it's here by morning, here is a map of the island with the bits you need to know marked out, there are basic food supplies in your kitchen already to keep you going for a few days and I expect you at work at 6am sharp tomorrow," he says and then turns on his heel and is gone leaving me reeling and wondering what I had let myself in for.


	2. Chapter 2

The first two weeks' drift by in a haze of work and sleep. Owen, along with the rest of the team seem to be set on testing me and so the workload is relentless as is the pressure they are putting me under. I haven't been this tired since the accident when I pretty much stopped sleeping and worked myself into the ground. Literally, I collapsed at work and was sent home for a week to recover because of it. Now I had all of that, plus the daily adrenalin dose of being around the raptors, Owen insisted on me being there at all feeding times and other interaction times, so as to bond with them properly is what he said although I knew it was because he wanted to see if I could stand the fear and stick around. He still hated me too I think, at least he didn't seem to talk to me unless it was absolutely necessary. Barry was lovely though and a couple of the other guys seemed to be gradually warming up to me which was nice. Owen though, well, as each day progresses I become more and more sure that he is trying to make me fail. I'm pretty sure he wants to tip me into the enclosure with the raptors at feeding time. I just can't figure out what he has against me, I mean it's one thing to not want someone coming in and taking over but surely by now I had proved that wasn't the case. I had been as perfect as I could be over the last couple of weeks. I had stayed silent, done everything that was asked of me, tried not to flinch every time the 'girls' appeared or Owen snapped at me but it was no good he would not warm up to me at all.

By the time my third week is over I am beyond exhausted and just about collapse on my bed after a quick shower and change of clothes. It had been a particularly gruelling day and I had stumbled a couple of times because of my tiredness even a few of the men seemed to notice but I had managed to wave them off and somehow continue with my day exhaustion ebbing over every sense until I almost felt as if I wouldn't be able to ride home without crashing my bike. I managed though and dragged my aching limbs through the door and through the motions before falling into my bed.

It is dark when I wake up screaming, covered in sweat, my breath coming in ragged gasps and tears already pouring down my face. The nightmare had been so real, the first I had had in months and it left me wrecked. A sudden banging on the door drags another startled scream from me before I can stop it and the banging increases now accompanied by a voice that has my face hot with humiliation as I drag my exhausted and shaking body from the bed and to the door.

"Taylor, what the fuck happened?" Owen says as soon as he sees me and I duck my head in shame.

"It's nothing, I'm… I'm sorry," I whisper wincing as I hear the shaking in my voice, he sighs before visibly deflating as I flinch away from him when he attempts to grab my arm.

"Come on let's grab a drink on the porch outside mine," he says and I glance up at him in shock moving to disagree but knowing that I would get no more sleep tonight I sigh and nod before moving with him, my legs still shaky.

"Thank you," I murmur twenty minutes later as we sit beside one another on chairs outside his home and stare into the darkness.

"So you ready to talk yet?" he asks and I glance towards him shaking my head automatically.

"It was just a nightmare, I didn't mean to scream out," I say quietly and for a while we are both silent again.

"I put too much pressure on you to be with the girls," he says regretfully and I spin to look at him again reading sincerity on his face and it amazes me.

"It wasn't about them, or here," I say with a weak smile and he gazes at me curiously nodding and gesturing for me to continue and for some reason I feel like I want to tell him, I want to speak about it at last and so with a gulp of the beer in my hand I rip my gaze from his and stare back into the darkness of the night, the warm breeze enveloping me like a blanket. "Four years ago my parents died, they were on their way home from a weekend away, they were coming home early because I told them I was being given this promotion and they wanted to celebrate. There was an accident and they died. I got the phone call and I went straight to my boyfriend's house only, when I got there, he was in bed, with someone else, I told him what had happened anyway, I just wanted support so badly that I was willing to give him a second chance but he just said he was glad that I'd found out and that it was my fault for working too much, he didn't even say anything about my parents," I break off here and take another huge gulp of beer. "It's funny really, in the space of an hour I went from having a loving family, parents who doted on me and a boyfriend I thought I would marry and start my own family with to being utterly alone,"

"I'm sorry," he whispers after a beat and I laugh a little, although there is no humour in it,

"It's okay, not your fault, you know you're the first person I've ever spoken to about it, about any of it," I whisper and he suddenly moves his chair so that he is sitting directly in front of me his hands gripping mine and my breath catches in my throat at the quickness of his movements and the sudden warmth of his hands. It nearly breaks me in my weakened state, I had forgotten what real, honest, caring contact was like and it made my insides churn.

"I've been an utter dick to you Taylor, I'm sorry," he says and I smile at him a little,

"It's okay, I understand, I wouldn't want someone coming in and treading on my toes either," I say despite the fact that I actually agreed with him, he had been a dick, a total dick just like he said but I didn't want to ruin this… whatever this was and I didn't have the energy to argue with him. He shakes his head, his face terrifyingly beautiful in the dim lights of his trailer.

"No, I never even gave you a chance because I was pissed at Masrani and Claire for employing you and it means that you've taken the hit for it,"

"Like I said it's okay," I say to him and he laughs a little at this and my breath catches again as I realise how breath taking he is when he smiles and laughs, his eyes twinkling in the light.

"You seem to end up saying that a lot," he says after a moment and I smile at him before shivering and yawning, "You should get back to bed," he adds and I shake my head sadly at him.

"It's fine, I won't sleep now but I'll go so you can get some sleep," I say quietly moving to stand only to stop when he grips my wrist and pulls me back down.

"You need to sleep Taylor, you're exhausted, Barry and I have both noticed," his concern for me is making my heart pound erratically, oh God I was in trouble here with this one.

"I can't" I whisper and he sighs leaning back slightly and taking a sip of beer from the bottle he picks up from beside him.

"Tell me about it," he says and I glance up at him,

"The nightmare?" I ask, my voice quivering, I had told him so much already, more than anyone else, was I really ready to talk about this too?

"Yes," he replies simply and I gulp, taking another sip of beer as I stall for time.

"It's nothing really… stupid," I start but he is frowning when I glance up and so sighing I stare down at my hands, "it's the same one every time, ever since the accident, I'm there watching them die and I don't do anything, I just stand there and scream," my voice is shaking again by the time I finish and silent tears are beginning to leak down my cheeks again.

"Have you ever tried sleeping again afterwards?" he asks after a while and I shake my head,

"Too scared," I admit after another short silence,

"Of having the nightmare again?" I shrug this time.

"Partly, but mostly because I'm scared I'll keep waking people up with my screaming,"

"No-one out here to hear you sweetheart," he says playfully and I frown at him a little before pointing at him.

"I woke you up," I say and he sighs,

"Taylor you're going to get ill if you don't sleep,"

"I know," I say immediately, flinching when he tenses moving too quickly for me to react as he pulls my face around to face him and holding it securely so that I cannot look away from him and sending electricity sparking across my skin.

"This has happened before?" he asks although by his tone it is more of a statement than a question.

"Once, not long after it happened, I… I collapsed at work," I say my voice sounding tiny to my own ears as I say it.

"Well that could be kinda dangerous when you're working with raptors," he quips and I offer him another weak smile. "Come on you can sleep in here, I'll take the couch and I promise to wake you if you start screaming," he says and I shake my head immediately, pulling away from him and standing up.

"No, I can't, I'll be fine," I say but before I can take a step he has grabbed my arm and dragged me back to face him.

"No arguments I need to make sure you're safe,"

"I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the other way around," I retort and he laughs causing my breath to hitch yet again, damn him and his handsomeness.

"I've been a dick Taylor and the truth is I knew from the first day that if I'd give you a chance we'd get on pretty great but I didn't and now I'm attempting to make up for it a little so could you let me do that… please?" he asks and I watch him for a moment before smiling and nodding a tiny bit.

"Okay but on one condition," I say eventually,

"Which is?" he asks arms crossed over his broad chest making it very difficult not to stare at his rippling muscles but I pull my eyes back up to his face, I could not afford to get feelings for him. I was pretty sure we could be friends but a guy like Owen Grady would never be interested in a girl like me.

"We start over, as friends," I say and he smiles before pulling me to him in a quick hug which drags a gasp of shock from my throat.

"Oh I think I can agree to those terms," he smiles at me before dragging me inside and forcing me to get into bed and sleep, while he settles himself on the sofa.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest as they say is history, it's been six months since that night and Owen and I have become best friends. I have bonded with the whole team and work is going brilliantly. Everything runs smoothly and I make sure all the paperwork gets done and filed or sent off on time and I have learnt everything I need to about working with live prehistoric creatures, including how to shoot a tranquiliser gun, and a real one, and use a knife. I spent every night for two months sleeping in Owen's trailer until the nightmares stopped and I spend my free time either chilling out with the guys working on my bike, or Owen's bike or exploring, it is perfect.

Of course, I am completely head over heels in love with him but I can cope with that as long as we are friends, as long as nothing changes. Barry knows of course, he cornered me a couple of months ago and told me to tell him but I refused. Life was good as friends and that is how it will stay.

The day is clear and warm already and it was only 6am and I was once again grateful for the fact that the raptors were away from the main resort and not an attraction. It was peak holiday season and the island was swarming with tourists but over here it was business as usual with visitors a rarity. A thought which strikes me as I begin climbing the stairs to the office I shared with Owen and notice the black coupe parked next to My bike which Owen had caught a lift on with me this morning.

I freeze outside the office door as I hear the voices inside and panic instantly builds in me as I wonder how I can back away without being caught.

"Claire you can't be serious," Owen is saying incredulously and I could hear the slight frustration in his tone too.

"Of course I am, I want to give us another go," she purrs and I feel suddenly sick, of course I had known that I never had a chance with Owen, he was… perfect and I was anything but, still though, while he was single I could dream and the thought of watching him with someone else, being with someone else made me feel ill.

"We never had a go to start with Claire, it was one date, one terrible date and I think we would both be better off keeping our options open and well away from that idea again," I can almost hear the smirk that I can imagine is plastered across his face and her indignant one staring back.

"It's not like there are any other options Owen," she replies and he laughs loudly at that,

"You're not the only woman in the park Claire, not even the only one working on this project,"

"You can't honestly mean Taylor," it is her turn to laugh although there is little mirth in it and I can feel my blood becoming thick in my veins as I listen to her derisive tone.

"What's wrong with her?" he asks genuine curiosity in his own voice and she laughs again.

"She's barely even a woman Owen, hardly your type anyway, the girls a mess. Way too curvy, quiet, almost painfully shy and pathetic and plain as they come too. You know as well as I do that you would never look twice at a girl like that…" a sound behind me startles me and I spin around to see Barry staring at me with sympathy painted across his features and I shake my head at him, feeling the burning humiliation and hurt already plastered across my face, the door opening causes me to spin again and now I am face to face with Claire and Owen. Right now would be a really great time for the ground to open up and swallow me, or maybe just throw me into the raptor pit.

"Tay…" Owen starts immediately but I don't even look at him the hurt is too much and I know it's not him, he can't help not being attracted to someone like me it was just really embarrassing to have it confirmed so instead I shake my head at them both just as I had to Barry seconds before.

"Here are the notes you wanted," I say quietly, praying that my voice stayed steady as I shove a folder at the two of them not caring which one took it before turning and moving quickly past Barry and down the stairs.

"T," Owen starts again, his nickname for me making me shudder slightly despite myself.

"It's okay Owen," I reply, "I just need to make sure the girls get fed properly Charlie is starting her new medication today and I need to check it all," and then I move off again and towards the pit where I rest my burning face against the bars as soon as I am out of sight and breathe shakily.

Two hours later and I am watching carefully as Owen works at training the girls with his clicker and commands, I sigh as I continue to make notes as it was my job to do and try very hard not to think about the fact that Owen had been avoiding me ever since Claire had left. It made my heart ache and my vision blur and I am just thinking about how I can possibly resolve the situation when a high-pitched squealing and shouting makes me flinch and I spin to see a pig rushing towards the foliage.

Suddenly, a thud draws my attention away from the pig and my heart stops as I see the new guy laying on the ground in the middle of the pit. Without thinking, before I can really comprehend what I am doing I have hit the button and am rolling under the gate and rushing towards him only to freeze as I see the four raptors circle us. Barry's voice is screaming something at me but I can't hear anything over the blood pounding in my ears, this was a really bad idea! Probably the worst I had ever had, no, definitely the worst I had ever had!

"Calm down," the voice and those two words somehow penetrate my foggy mind and I glance up to see Owen now standing in front of me and the boy as he talks to the raptors.

"Go," I hiss at the boy who looks at me with wide terrified eyes, "now," I add and he scrambles back and through the gate. Sweat is beading on my forehead even more rapidly than normal and I can feel it trickling down my spine as panic spikes through every nerve.

"On my count," Owen whispers and when I don't respond his hand reaches for mine and squeezes it, causing my attention to turn to him.

"I…" no other words will make their way out of my throat and so I nod.

"Barry, close the gate," Owen shouts and for a moment time seems to be frozen as we stand side by side facing off with these ancient killing machines, then quicker than I have time to grasp he is throwing me to the ground and we are rolling under the gate where he lands on top of me and I flinch as I hear the four beasts slam into the gate behind us hissing and squealing. I'm not quite sure how I avoid vomiting all over the floor as my entire body reacts to the adrenalin that is thrumming through it.

"Magnificent," a voice murmurs and Owen is on his feet in a second standing before the man who had spoken as he walks away and as I get my breathing back under control I recognise him as the man who wanted to use the raptors for some military thing, a thought that made me shudder in disgust.

"What the hell were you thinking T?" Owen is standing in front of me again pulling me up roughly his eyes checking me for injury.

"I… I don't know," I mutter gazing at the ground fixedly,

"You could have been killed," he says now and I look up at him briefly before staring at the ground once more.

"I know," is all I say and my voice is small even to my own ears,

"Why the fuck do it then? What was it some kind of punishment for earlier?" he explodes and I feel anger and hurt pulse through me so suddenly I almost feel faint as I stare back at him, meeting his eye for the first time and refusing to back down this time despite the burning humiliation I can feel in my cheeks as I remember the conversation I had overheard.

"I did it because it was the right thing to do, I couldn't just let him die," I say fiercely, "it has nothing to do with you and Claire and whatever you get up to in your free time," I finish, turning away before he can see the tears that are already prickling in the corners of my eyes.

"We… what? Taylor wait," his hand is on my arm pulling me back round to face him and I can do nothing but stare at his chest trying to hold back the tears that I so desperately wanted to cry. Tears of fear, of relief, of hurt, I didn't know which maybe all three either way I was overloading on emotion in a way I hadn't since my parents died and I didn't like it.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, "I shouldn't have said anything, it's not my business," I add and he sighs heavily through his nose before gripping my arm more tightly and pulling me up the stairs behind him and into the office carefully shutting out prying eyes and ears.

Once the office door is closed the air seems suddenly too cold, the air-conditioning causing a shiver to rush through me and my breathing sounds too loud in the silence that now surrounding us as I wait for him to speak.

"It is your business T and just so you know nothing ever has happened and nothing ever will between Claire and I," he says quietly after we have sat in silence for a while and I nod, ducking my head as I feel tears begin to make their way down my face as the adrenaline wore off and the shaking set in.

"Sorry," I say after a moment, not knowing what else to say and fully aware that it made no sense.

"You know when we first met I would have gladly thrown you in there with them," he says and I give a weak chuckle at his attempt to lighten the mood. Suddenly, I am pulled up into his arms my face buried against his shoulder as one of his arms holds me firmly around the waist the other against my head, fingers stroking through the strands of hair that had fallen from the braid it was in. He takes a deep breath and as I feel it against my temple it sends a shudder through me, "but today, when I saw you down there… I can't remember the last time I was that scared," he says and I shake my head against his shoulder a little as I pull myself together and move away slightly so I can peer up into his face, shocked when I see the truth in his eyes.

"But… why?" I ask in bewilderment and he smirks a little as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear before letting his hand rest gently against my check an action that causes my breath to stutter.

"You only heard half of the conversation T," he whispers and I try to glance away from him but for some reason I can't. "You are definitely my type T; you are brave and kind and selfless. You are able to keep me in check and you are more beautiful than you know," he murmurs and I can barely breathe now, my heart in my throat as he pulls me forward slightly, his lips barely brushing mine and my whole body responding to him instantly and as he deepens the kiss I moan a little and he pulls me even closer to him, groaning and pulling away to rest his forehead against mine as his phone rings. My breathing is still irregular and I can't really follow the conversation the blood once again pumping in my ears. I can't believe this is happening, I had lusted after this man, fallen for this man and pined for him for months now and I had thought that it was going to go on, unrequited, forever. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that he would return any of those feelings.


	4. Chapter 4

When he hangs up the phone we spend a further minute or so simply standing in one another's arms, his breath heavy against my skin. Suddenly he leans in to kiss me again but I pull away needing to know what this means.

"Where does this leave us?" I ask in a breathless whisper and he smiles a little tucking another stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"I think it leaves me at your mercy T," he whispers back and I can feel myself frowning slightly in confusion.

"I… I don't understand," I say quietly and he chuckles pulling me closer and dropping another quick kiss on my lips that would have had my knees buckling completely had he not been holding me so tightly.

"I'm trying to tell you that I'm yours if you'll have me," he says almost hesitantly and I can't help laughing a little at the fact that he thought I would ever refuse him.

"I've been in love with you since you became the first person I ever talked to or trusted since the accident," I whisper freezing as I realise what I had just said. Shit! Jesus Taylor way to ruin everything the bloke just kissed you that's it and now you're trying to scare him off, my face is burning and my mind racing as I try to work out how to recover from this, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… I just never thought that you would…" he cuts me off by kissing me again and I can feel his smile against my skin as he peppers my jaw with more kisses.

"Tonight I'm taking you out properly and we'll have a real first date T, I promise," he murmurs and I smile as my fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck dragging a groan from deep in his throat.

"You don't have to do anything Owen, I'm just happy if I get to spend time with you," I smile and he grins at me a little.

"I want to T but right now we have to go deal with a problem," he replies pulling away reluctantly and grabbing two shot guns handing one of them to me.

"What kind of problem?" I ask as I eye the guns and the hunting knife that he is now strapping to my side after he has secured his own.

"That was Claire on the phone, there's an issue with the new 'asset' as she calls it," he explains and I tense immediately as I hear her name, insecurity and hurt flooding me before I can stop it as I remember the things she said about me less than three hours ago.

"That was Claire on the phone?" I manage after a moment and before I can say anything else he is in front of me again his hands on my face his fingers tracing my cheekbones softly.

"What she said about you was unforgivable T and when I get the chance I'll call her out on it properly, I should have done it when she was here, but right now we have to work and I don't want you out of my sight after that little display in the pit so you're coming with me," he smiles gently and I move my hands to grip his wrists.

"You don't need to say anything to her Owen besides surely it will be far worse for her to see you with me, someone who is 'barely a woman anyway' that will hurt her more than anything you could say," I respond and he simply growls a little before pulling me forward into another searing kiss before moving away grabbing my hand and dragging me downstairs and to my bike.

When we reach the paddock, I gasp at how huge it is and have a sinking feeling that I'm not entirely sure that I want to know what they have in there.

"Owen… and Taylor, what are you doing here?" Claire asks as she approaches us her smile faltering and a frown forming on her perfect face.

"Taylor is my boss Claire, so I figured that she should be here to see this too," Owen says a slight bite in his tone as he does so and I notice him step slightly closer to me.

"Right, well, fine, come on then," she stutters out and turns on her heel expecting us to follow her up the steps.

"You good?" Owen whispers, turning to me and reaching for my hand and I nod giving his fingers a squeeze before moving ahead of him and up the steps.

"We've been pre-booking tickets for months. The park needs a new attraction every few years in order to reinvigorate the public's interest. Kind of like the space program," Claire is saying as she walks over to the flight of steps leading up to the observation tower, Owen follows and I do too after a moment's hesitation. "Corporate felt genetic modification would up the "wow" factor," she continues and I can't help the tiny snort of annoyed disbelief.

"They're dinosaurs. "Wow" enough," Owen says and I can tell without looking at him how unimpressed he is.

"Not according to our focus groups. The _Indominus rex_ makes us relevant again," she smirks and Owen makes a sound of disbelief as I turn to watch him grin ruefully.

"The _Indominus rex!_ " I repeat sarcastically before I can stop myself and she frowns at me.

"We needed something scary and easy to pronounce. You should hear a four-year-old try to say " _Archaeornithomimus_ ," she replies tightly,

"You should hear _you_ try to say it..." he says back stepping closer to me as if trying to shield me from Claire's hard stare.

As we enter the observation room I move away again, heading to the glass to stare out into the enclosure. Nick, one of the park supervisors, is sitting at his desk on his lunch break, munching a sandwich nosily and I grin at him and give him a little wave which he returns.

Besides us he's the only one present. Owen and Claire walk over to join me by one of the windows. We don't see the _I. rex_ , just the dense jungle of the paddock interior beyond the glass, even so, a chill runs down my spine and I feel as though something is watching me, I don't like this place, instinctively I feared it even if I couldn't figure out why.

"What's this thing made of...?" Owen asks after a moment of silence,

"The base genome is a T. rex, the rest is... classified," Claire replies and I stare up at her sharply.

"You made a new dinosaur but you don't even know what it is?" I ask dubiously and Claire tenses, I can tell she's already annoyed by my presence and the way Owen is acting towards me, it is obvious that he is being protective of me and his fingers seeming to be constantly reaching for my own and I've just irritated her more with my questions. This woman was not my fan and I subtly move away from Owen as she glances once again at where his hand seems to be reaching for mine, I feel like she will end up firing me for some sort of breach of conduct to get back at me because Owen chose me. It is irrational I know but it is so long since I was happy, truly happy and I honestly feel like Owen makes me better. I don't want to ruin that before it's even really started that was a thought that terrified me.

"The lab delivers us new assets and we show them to public," she says icily before turning to Nick, "can we drop a steer, please?" Nick glances up annoyed by her rudeness and moves to press a button, rolling his eyes at me as he does so and I am forced to stifle a giggle. I like Nick, we'd met a few times over the last few months at training sessions and at the local bar and he was a good laugh, a bit lazy and even more out of shape than I was but a nice person.

"How long has the animal been in here?" Owen asks as we watch,

"All its life," Claire replies immediately.

"Never seen anything outside of these walls?" he asks and I don't like the uneasiness in his voice or the way it is creeping further and further into my blood with every passing minute.

"We can't exactly walk it," Claire snips back and I grin despite myself until a sudden rumbling noise outside takes my attention back to the enclosure and I watch as a huge crane lowers a hunk of beef down from above.

"And you feed it with that?" Owen's voice rumbles from beside me and I almost want to laugh at her clear bemusement and annoyance, she clearly doesn't get it at all though and that scared me a bit.

"Is there a problem?" she asks,

"Animals raised in isolation aren't always the most functional," I say quietly from beside them.

"Your raptors are born in captivity..." she starts,

"With siblings. They learn social skills. And I imprint on them when they're born. There's trust. The only positive relationship this animal has is with that crane. At least she knows that means food," Owen interrupts her and his increasing concern, that I can hear in his voice, is scaring me a bit now, my own anxiety growing but Claire doesn't seem worried at all.

"So she needs a friend? We should schedule play dates? That sort of thing?" she says sarcastically and I can hear the growl in the back of Owen's throat as she says this.

"Probably not a good idea," I reply for him still watching the empty paddock in front of us, Claire also noticing the dinosaur hasn't emerged from the jungle to eat the meat, leans over and taps on the glass.

"Where is it...?" she asks in frustrated bemusement.

"What, is it in the basement? Is there a downstairs? Maybe it's in the rec room," Owen comments sarcastically and I move away from them both as something catches my eye.

"It was just here. We were just here," Claire is muttering as she moves over to the consoles and I watch her activate them out of the corner of my eye, my head whipping round briefly as a buzzing sounds and a readout flashes across the screen saying: "NO THERMAL SIGNATURES DETECTED." The other computer screens arranged around the room begin beeping in alarm and they all show the same words. They're not detecting any body heat inside the paddock. The _Indominus rex_ isn't showing up. Not good at all and what I am staring at right now isn't helping that sinking feeling in my stomach.

"That doesn't make any sense. These doors haven't been opened in weeks," Nick is saying and I finally raise a slightly shaking hand and point out of the window.

"Were those claw marks always there?" I ask, thankful that my voice has remained steady as both Claire and Owen turn to me and come to stand beside me.

"You think it...?" Realization seems to suddenly hit her and she begins trembling. "Oh, God!" she murmurs before turning and running out pulling her phone out as she does so and dialing frantically, I just about hear her say something about an implant before her voice is out of earshot.


	5. Chapter 5

Owen watches her go, then turns and looks back out the window. By the rear door of the paddock, we can see numerous deep scratch marks in the concrete going up very high. His fingers suddenly grip mine almost too tightly but I don't want him to let go as I glance fearfully into his face hoping to see reassurance but only seeing my own fear reflected back at me.

"We need to go check it out," he whispers and I choke out a laugh of incredulity at his words.

"You must be joking Owen, out there?" I exclaim fearfully and he simply gives me a wry, tightlipped smile.

"No choice T, we need to work out what's happened,"

"And if it's still in there? What then? It's not one of your raptors Owen, it won't hesitate to listen to you" I growl at him as I pull him round to face me trying not to be too aware of how close we are standing and how he towered over me in a way that made my body tingle ever so slightly.

"It's going to be okay, you saw those monitors there's nothing in there, we're perfectly safe," he murmurs his hands holding my face gently and I snort a little at his comment even as I lean into the warmth of his touch.

"I think we are the furthest thing from safe right now," I whisper and he just huffs out a chuckle as he gives me a quick kiss that causes heat to flash through me, still unused to any of this, the affection the contact, it was intoxicating and distracting.

Three minutes later despite me repeatedly saying that I don't think this is a good idea, Owen and Nick enter the main area of the enclosure through a side door, with me just behind them. Warily, we walk through the jungle like foliage to the back wall, where a worker, who I don't recognize, is inspecting the claw marks. Owen is alert and Nick looks nervous, but they make it over to where the worker is without incident, I on the other hand am stumbling all over the place my legs are trembling so much and Owen has to turn back to steady me more than once and it is a testament to how serious this is that he hasn't even teased me about it.

Once we reach the wall I feel my stomach lurch as I realise just how high it is and just how high up those claw marks are. Owen feels the deep grooves with his bare hand and the four of us stare up at the massive wall looming over everything and casting shadows that blocked out all sun and made me shudder slightly.

"That wall's forty feet high. You really think she could've climbed out?" Nick asks skeptically,

"Depends," Owen answers,

"On what?" Nicks asks glancing at him,

"What kinda dinosaur they cooked up in that lab..." I answer and they all look at me until Nick's radio suddenly crackles and a garbled voice comes through.

"...area... ...Paddock 11... ...dock 11, do you copy..." Nick answers the message lazily. He doesn't seem concerned, although Owen is already glancing around, suddenly uneasy and panic is settling in my stomach and chest again.

"Yeah, what's the problem?" Nick asks in a nonchalant voice,

"It's in the cage! It's in there with you!" Nick looks confused as if not understanding what has been said I feel like every ounce of blood and energy is still drained from me as I freeze completely, while Owen springs into action.

"Go!" he screams already holding my hand and pushing past Nick as he begins to run dragging me with him, towards the door we had come through. I turn briefly and see Nick dart off in a different direction whilst the other guy is still behind us. Suddenly Owen skids to a stop holding me to his back as the Indominus Rex emerges from the jungle and blocks our escape. It bellows forth a mighty roar that makes my blood run cold and every nerve in my body sing with terror. I had never seen anything like the creature that stood before us and I can feel the fear rolling from Owen into me which just served to terrify me more. I think I scream but I'm not sure, I don't seem able to focus on anything much other than the almost painful awareness I have of my own unadulterated terror.

We turn and run back the way we came, but the guy with us isn't fast enough. The Indominus snatches him up in her clawed hands. He screams. I scream, panic the only thing I am aware of as Owen pulls me even faster, my legs burning and my breath rattling in my lungs, his fingers around mine the only thing grounding me at this moment. I can see Nick ahead of us opening the door and glancing back at us as and I scream again, tears by now blurring my vision as I see him turn and run through the door

Suddenly, the door begins to slowly close as Owen and I run towards it, with the huge predator gaining on us from behind.

"Shit!" I hear the panic in his voice as he bursts through the door as it is closing nearly ripping my arm out of its socket as he continues running before skidding to the ground pulling me with him and under the crane, where I come to rest on top of him, his arms locked around me tightly his breathing just as labored as mine as another roar echoes around us.

I can hear the workers rush around shouting and screaming in a wild panic, trying to escape, as the Indominus gets halfway through the door before breaking free completely rubble and concrete crashing in great lumps all around the area like thunder breaking over and over again. I turn my face slightly from where it is buried against Owen's shoulder and watch, wide-eyed, as the Indominus stomps over to where Nick is sitting in front of a pickup truck. She walks around the left side as Nick, mustering his courage, peers around the right front bumper. He whimpers and sobs as he sees the huge tail disappearing around the rear of the truck, then turns back around, trying to hide. He clutches and kisses a crucifix and my heart breaks for him even as further panic wells up within me a tiny whimper of my own escaping causing Owen's arms to tighten around me. I didn't want him to die, I knew him, I liked him, we were friends.

Suddenly, the truck is violently knocked aside, flying through the air and crashing noisily to the ground upside-down, leaving the supervisor sitting out in the open completely exposed. He meets my eye for a long moment and I try to communicate some comfort to him as the moment seems to stretch on forever. Suddenly, the jaws snap down, grabbing Nick and lifting him up out of view and I turn my face back into Owen's shoulder trying to stop myself from screaming, fresh tears welling as I try to comprehend that I had just watched him die, I wasn't prepared for this, I wasn't ready for anyone else in my life to die and I was now even more scared, was that about to happen to us?

Acting more quickly than I could imagine, Owen draws the survival knife from its sheath around my waist, where he had fastened it less than an hour ago and, reaching up, he grabs the crane's fuel line and hacks desperately at it with his blade until he finally slices through it, rupturing it and spewing gasoline down onto both of us. Hurriedly, he smears it all over me and then him in an effort to mask our scent.

Having finished eating Nick, the Indominus now approaches the crane and crouches down on all fours, sniffing. Owen lies back, perfectly still, holding me tightly to his chest as the dinosaur's bloodied, gore-encrusted jaws inch closer and closer, I can feel my breath rattling in my lungs as I try to keep silent and still... until finally she withdraws, rising up out of view, and walks away.

Slowly, Owen lifts his head, watching her go, her thudding footsteps retreating into the distance. Shivering, he lies back down and exhales in relief.

"It's okay baby, it's gone," he whispers, his voice shaking slightly in relief and the remnants of the adrenalin.

"I…" I can't speak, I don't know what to say, instead I just cling to him and cry as he holds me just as tightly, kissing every inch of skin he can find.

"I'm sorry, oh God I'm so sorry," he says over and over again until I move a little and take his face in my own shaking hands.

"You saved my life," I whisper giving him a tiny smile before leaning forward to kiss him and show him just how thankful I was.

"I could have got you killed," he mutters into my lips when we break apart, "we need to move," he says then dragging himself out from under the crane and pulling me up with him before checking me for injuries.

"I'm okay, I promise," I say as I take his hand in mine, "listen you need to go to the control room and sort this whole mess out, I'm going to head back to the girls and check they're okay," I say and he shakes his head stepping closer to me.

"No way, I'm not leaving you T, not with that thing out there," he says and I smile gently at him.

"I'll be okay Owen, and I'll be with Barry and the other guys, I'll be more worried about you, will you be safe… promise me you'll stay safe," I say my arms once again around his neck, his hands gripping my waist tightly.

"You go straight back to them baby, and then you get to somewhere safe and wait for me to find you, promise me T," he says so earnestly that I don't have it in me to point out that he hadn't answered my question or confirmed that he would stay in any way safe.

"I promise," I whisper and he kisses me again before pulling me towards my bike,

"Take your bike, it'll be quicker, I'll take one of the trucks here," he says making sure that I had my gun strapped to my back and my knife back in place, giving me one last kiss before he rushes towards a truck and I am speeding in the opposite direction.


	6. Chapter 6

My hands are shaking still, even as I grip the handles, I pull up to a stop at the top of a hill and gaze out across the paddocks below me trying to steady my breathing. My whole head is spinning as I try to come to terms with everything. This morning everything was normal, God was it really only this morning that I had overheard Owen and Claire talking about me? It felt like a lifetime ago. I had woken up as plain old boring Taylor, best friends with a sex god I was madly in love with but would never notice me and now… he noticed me, he called me pet names that did something strange to my insides and we had both nearly been eaten, twice, by ancient carnivores, one of which was a whole new level of terrifying and currently on the loose around a park filled with thousands of tourists.

I watch for a moment as all the gyrosphere's head back to their base, they're recalling everyone then, good, maybe the people running this place weren't as stupid as I thought they were. A glint from the far right of my peripheral catches my attention and I see a lone gyrosphere moving through a break in the fence, well that's not good. I glance back towards the others and realise that no-one has noticed them and I know I promised Owen I'd head straight back but I can't let innocent people put themselves in danger, I'd just quickly lead them back to safety and then go back. Taking a deep breath, I kick the bike back into motion and head down towards the giant hamster ball, following it through the trees.

A sudden roar sends me careening off the bike and scrambling behind a tree hissing in pain as the forest floor rips through the skin on my arm and side, my breath rattling in my lungs painfully, as I glance around the side of the tree and see the Indominus attacking the Ankylosaurus before I meet the terrified gaze of two boys hanging upside down in the gyrosphere. How did it get here so quickly? It was too close to the park, too close to the thousands of innocents. Oh, God, what was I going to do, I can hear them screaming as it begins to bite into the ball, the glass shattering more screaming and then, just like when the new kid fell into the raptor pit I was on my feet and running to them before I knew what I was doing, I just knew I couldn't let them die, I couldn't let anyone else die today, I couldn't watch it.

Grabbing them both by the arms I urge them to keep running and we do, panting, gasping, legs burning, frantic and so terrified I felt as though I would be sick at any second until we leave the trees and find ourselves at the top of a waterfall.

"We have to jump," I gasp and they both look up at me in shock, their fear reminding me that I had to try to be strong for them now.

"I can't," the younger one whimpers and I grasp his hand in mine as his other hand is gripped by what I assume is his brother, a roar behind us making us all tense.

"We have no choice," I say looking behind me and seeing the trees move as it begins to crash it's way closer to us.

"On three," the older boy says but the roar behind us means no time for counting as we all jump and I feel the breath of the monster on me as we do so. That was too close, Owen is going to kill me. As we hit the water my head collides with rock and everything becomes instantly fuzzy as I fight to keep my eyes open, realising that the I-rex was still watching, I grab the boy's ankles trying to tell them to be quiet and we watch for a few tense seconds that seem to stretch on forever until it moves away and we swim to the bank. Shaking my head, I try to clear my vision as I put my hand to my head wincing and pulling my fingers away to see them coated in blood. Great, now Owen really would kill me.

"Are you okay?" the older boy asks and I nod my head smiling at him,

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a scratch, we should get moving," I reply and he nods as we begin walking through the dense jungle, my gun in my hands as I try not to tremble, desperate to keep them safe and not let on how scared or woozy I was, "I'm Taylor by the way," I say with a smile.

"I'm Zach, this is my little brother Gray," the older one replies,

"Bet your parents are going mad with worry by now," I say trying to strike up a conversation,

"They're not here, we're here visiting our Aunt Claire," Gray says and I nod before something clicks in my head.

"Claire Dearing?" I ask and they both nod, "well I'll have to make sure you get back safely now or she'll definitely sack me," I joke and they both grin a little at me.

"Do you think we'll get back?" Gray asks now and I look quickly at Zach before smiling at him.

"Yes, besides they'll be out looking for us by now too, I know at least one person that will make sure we are safe and your aunt Claire is the boss so we're going to be just fine…" I babble, my head still spinning slightly and everything just a little blurry still. I stop suddenly as we look up to see a set of ancient looking doors. The original park, I had spent my childhood looking at pictures of these doors, wishing I could come here. This is so surreal, I literally became the person I am, doing the job I do because of this place and now I was standing here in front of it.

Slowly, we make our way in and spend a moment staring around in awe and apprehension. There was an air of pain and death that clung to the place and it made me shiver slightly, I wanted Owen. The thought hits me quite suddenly and my resolve to be brave for the boys nearly fails me as I feel an overwhelming need to be in his proximity and surrounded by his warmth and safety. Zach makes a torch using a T-rex bone and some old bunting and we wander through the building trying not to think about the strange sense of reverse de ja vu that floods over me as I look at how the place has been left exactly as it was when disaster struck the first time, why do we never learn from our mistakes?

"Look, jeeps," Zach points out and we rush over to inspect the two vehicles, Gray rattling off details about what type of jeeps they are and I allow myself a moment to be slightly impressed.

"Finally, what do you reckon Zach, Gray, do you think we can get this up and running again?" I ask and they both grin as we set about doing what we can to make the engine run again.

After almost an hour of working on it with the help of both the boys we finally have it sorted only my head is feeling woozy again now and I grip the side of the car to keep myself upright as my vision swims and everything gets blurry.

"Taylor, what's wrong?" Zach asks and I shake my head at him,

"Nothing I just… bit dizzy, think you might have to drive for me," I mumble glancing at him and he nods gulping a bit as he helps me into the backseat before jumping in with Gray and putting the jeep into gear. The drive back to the park is a… blurry one, I am drifting in and out of consciousness as concussion sets in and the adrenalin drains out of my body by the time we are back and the boys are dragging me through the resort as we are attacked by prehistoric birds, although I'm not entirely sure whether I am imagining them or not as I am half slumped over Zach's shoulders.

"Tay… Oh no, no, no," that voice seems to penetrate my foggy mind and I struggle to sit up from where I have found myself on the floor somehow,

"Owen," I call out to him but I don't get any answer and I begin to panic that it was more than a concussion and I was dying or something and hallucinating, then I hear shots I think and a scream, "Owen," I try again and this time I am being pulled up into someone's arms and opening my eyes I can see his face, and after a moment I can focus on only seeing one of his face and as I see the concern that marred his expression I break down as I try to cling to him too.

"I thought I'd lost you," he is whispering into my neck as he holds me,

"What do you mean?" I ask as I try to stand up, my legs wobbling and his arms firmly around me to keep me upright.

"I went with Claire to find her nephews and I found your bike, I… I thought," he breaks off again and it terrifies me to see him this vulnerable.

"Hey, hey, I'm okay, I'm right here," I say, putting my hands on his face and he examines me closely,

"You're bleeding," he says instantly.

"I'm fine," I emphasize, "mild concussion from a rock and a couple of scrapes from coming off my bike, that's all, now we should really be moving," I say and he nods looking towards Claire and the boys,

"We want to stay with Taylor," Gray says instantly and I smile at him before glancing warily at Claire who nods too and then we are all moving.


	7. Chapter 7

Claire is on her phone again and my head is getting fuzzy again, I am leaning more heavily on Owen and I can see him glancing at me in concern every other second out of the corner of my eye.

"T… baby," his voice is like honey washing over me, warming me and making me feel safe no matter what is happening and it sends a tiny shudder rolling through me as my breath stutters and I try to get my head around the pet names and the fact that they were directed at me and I really… really liked it.

"Mmm, okay," I mumble but I can hear my speech is slurred slightly and before I can think he has swept me into his arms and is shouting and then doors are slamming and we are moving.

"Is she going to be okay?" that's Claire's voice and she sounds concerned, maybe that means she didn't hate me anymore.

"You care now?" Owen sounds angry and I can't work out why, I can't seem to open my eyes yet although my head feels clearer than it had in a long time, it was a very strange out of body type experience to be laying here, aware of everything around me but unable to communicate or respond in anyway. It was like my whole body was caked in lead and I was just too exhausted to move much less talk or open my eyes.

"Of course I care," she shoots back indignantly,

"Why wouldn't you care Aunt Claire?" that's Gray's voice, what the bloody hell is going on here and why was I apparently asleep or awake or unconscious or whatever I bloody well was?

"What were your words again, 'barely even a woman' I think is what you said about her," Owen says and I can feel a hand flinch against my head at his biting tone, apparently despite me telling him not to he couldn't resist calling her out on their conversation earlier. God was it really only this morning, I felt as if that was months ago so much had happened, so many terrible things and one fantastic thing.

"You said that about Taylor? Why?" Zach sounds incredulous,

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it," she breaks off when Owen growls low in his throat sounding more like one of his raptors than I thought was possible, so much so that I want to laugh but don't have the energy, or capability at the moment, "Okay I did mean to say it but only because I was jealous, I could see the way you looked at her, I knew you would be perfect together," she murmurs.

"Why did you say such horrible things though Aunt Claire?" Gray says and now I really want to laugh at the fact that this conversation is happening even as the whole place is going to shit and even more so at the fact that I feel kind of sorry for her.

"I was stupid Gray, I'm sorry," she says quietly and Owen growls again,

"You need to tell her that, she risked her life for your nephews she deserves at least that… how is she?" he asks and I can hear the worry in his voice now as he asks about me and it makes my heart swell, he really did care about me.

"It's just a mild concussion I think, she'll be fine when she wakes up," Claire says and then I seem to fade out again for a while, everything becoming kind of black and silent again.

When I wake up I realise that I am in someone's arms and without opening my eyes I know that it is Owen carrying me and for a second I forget everything that is happening just snuggle further into his warmth.

"T… baby," his voice is soft and I can hear the concern laced through it,

"I'm okay," I whisper back to him, opening my eyes and gazing up into his face, relishing the way his eyes soften as he looks down at me, "I'm sorry I worried you," I add and he chuckles a little before shifting me in his arms so that he can plant a kiss on my hairline.

"As long as you're okay baby that's all that matters," he responds and I can feel myself flushing at his pet name.

"I think it's going to take me a while to get my head around this," I murmur as he finally sets me on my feet beside a huge lorry type vehicle.

"Dinosaur on the loose, we could have called that months ago, years ago, we just need to get through it then we'll work on working it all out," he says to me that smirk that makes me weak in the knees, makes most women weak in the knees, in place as I smile a little and shake my head at him.

"Not that," I grin and he frowns a little,

"What then?" he asks stepping closer to me and I duck my head automatically even as his fingers search out mine, giving me instant comfort and safety.

"You… wanting me, the pet names, I just… I feel like I'm dreaming it all," I say my face burning by the time I have finished my little speech and a little gasp escapes me as he suddenly pulls me tightly to him.

"You're going to have to get used to it T, I'm not letting you go," he pulls my face around to his and smiles before dipping to kiss me soundly.

"I'll try," I smile back and he chuckles again before his face becomes serious again and I spend a moment glancing around realizing that we are at the raptor paddock, "what are we doing here Owen?" I ask as nerves creep back into me.

"Hoskins," he sighs, "he wants to use them in the field to hunt the I-rex," I gasp again my eyes becoming wide and then cling to the front of his shirt as I realise what he is saying.

"No Owen, you can't, it's too dangerous," I almost whimper and he sighs as his hands find their way to either side of my face his thumbs gently stroking across my cheekbones.

"I have to," he murmurs and I find myself gripping his wrists to try and anchor him to me as I feel tears pool in my eyes, I know he is right and it terrifies me that I might lose him.

"I know," I say eventually and he smiles softly at me.

"I need you to be safe baby," he says now and I nod at him, "and I need you to look after Claire and the kids okay, you'll be safe in here and I'll find you okay," he says and I nod again and then he is gone and I am standing next to Claire and the boys as Claire opens the doors to the truck.

"See perfect, we'll be safe in here and you can talk to me through the window there if you need to," she says to them and they start clambering into the back of the truck.

"I'll go with them in the back, make sure they're okay," I say to her and she turns fully to me,

"Taylor, listen, about…" she begins but I hold a hand up to stop her,

"It's okay Claire, really," I say as she flushes and looks ready to argue with me, "what you said hurt, a lot, but I get it, I'm a woman too and I know you didn't really mean it, you didn't did you?" I ask and she shakes her head emphatically.

"No, God no, I… working here I think it's changing me in bad ways and I would never… I…" I laugh as she struggles to get out her words.

"Then I forgive you, besides I don't think we have time to hold grudges right now do we?" I smile and she does too before suddenly hugging me tightly.

"You saved their lives, I'll never be able to thank you enough for that," she murmurs to me and I laugh before clambering into the back of the truck behind the boys.

"I'm sure I'll find a way," I quip at her and she laughs before shutting the doors and moving to the driver's cab.

Ten minutes later and we are all watching the screen Claire is holding, Zach, Gray and I watching through the small hatch. I can barely breathe as the cameras on the girls' heads pick up Owen riding his bike alongside them.

"Your boyfriend's a badass," Zach says to me and I smile a tiny bit despite myself before flinching as we watch everything going horribly wrong.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" Gray asks as we watch the raptors communicate with the I-rex and then turn on the soldiers and Owen.

"Oh God," I whisper hearing the shaking in my voice as I say even those two words,

"What? What is it?" Claire asks and I look at her for a long moment before speaking.

"I know why they wouldn't tell you what they made that out of…" I break off drawing in a shaky breath as they all watch me intently, "that thing is part raptor," I finish and for a second there is absolute silence until a scream outside and a bloody hand is hitting against the driver's side window making us all jump and scream in terror.

"Drive… they're coming," a man screams as he flings open the back doors causing another cry of fear to be ripped from our throats before Delta launches herself at the truck and drags him off. The boys are both screaming and I immediately begin banging against the hatch.

"Drive Claire, for fucks sake drive," I scream as Delta looks up and begins to barrel towards us. I am forced to grip a wall unit with all my might as the vehicle lurches forwards and my legs fly out to stop Gray from flying straight out and in to Delta's waiting jaws.

"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God," Zach is saying as the raptor gains on us throwing herself towards us once again, her claw catching in my trousers and ripping straight through them scratching my thigh and I hear the boys scream and stare wildly around me for something to get her claw off of me, otherwise she would have my whole leg in her mouth within seconds.

Suddenly, my eyes see the tasers and I make a grab for one, turning it on instantly and pushing it towards her.

"I'm sorry girl," I gasp out before shocking her and I am released as she falls.

"Did you see that," Gray cries out as they both help haul me further into the truck, my eyes watching for more of the raptors following us but instead I see something that makes my whole body relax just a tiny amount as Owen's bike comes into view, with him unharmed on the back of it.

"Oh thank God," I whisper as he roars past and leads us to the resort, where he appears at the doors to pull me out straight away holding me tightly, "thank God," I say again into his shoulder and he pulls away to look me over his face crumpling into a frown when he sees my ripped trousers.

"What happened?" he asks as he bends to see if the wound is deep and sighing with relief when he realizes that it is just a scratch.

"Delta got a little close at one point," I explain and his fingers are instantly in mine pulling me close into his side as the five of us make our way to the lab only to find it empty and clear of people and equipment.

"They evacuated the lab," Claire is saying quietly as we begin to look around, Owen having yet to release my hand.

"I'm okay, I promise, you're here now," I whisper to him and he glances down at me but before he can say anything Hoskins appears beside Gray and we both move quickly to his side, my fingers surreptitiously reaching for Gray's and pulling him closer to me.


	8. Chapter 8

My blood feels thick in my veins as I try to process everything that is happening, my leg is stinging and my head is still feeling heavy and it takes the sudden shattering of glass to pull me out of myself, gasping as Echo is suddenly between us and Hoskins. Owen is quick to put himself in front of us, pushing me directly behind him as he tries to judge the raptors movements. Taking a shuddering breath, I try to calm myself a scream ripped from my throat as Echo launches forward and attacks Hoskins, blood splattering the walls as his screams echo in my head. I almost laugh at the irony of Echo the raptor making screams echo in my head, I am pulled from my morbid musings as Owen pulls me along and briefly begin to think I may be going crazy or that my concussion is worse than I thought.

We sprint down the corridor skidding to a halt and sprinting in the other direction as Echo appears before us. I can hear her claws tapping on the floor behind us as she gives chase and tears of fear are welling in my eyes. Sickness rising in my throat, I have never been so scared, the adrenalin that is pulsing through me is almost painful it is so strong and I don't know whether having the others around me is helping or not. On one hand I was glad I wasn't alone, I would at least be dying with the man I loved but on the other, oh God I don't think I could handle watching anyone else die, to watch Owen die would be the worst thing that I could possibly imagine, I would just have to make sure he was okay, somehow. Gray suddenly puts his hand out and presses one of the displays as we race through the atrium and a hologram appears, temporarily stalling the raptor behind us and for a second I allow myself to breath before reaching deep within myself for some energy I didn't realise I had left. Bursting through the doors and out into the open we fly down the stairs only to freeze again as Blue appears in front of us. I turn but my breath is knocked from me as Delta and Echo reappear. We're surrounded. We're dead. It's over!

Owen's fingers are gripping mine almost painfully tightly by now as he pulls me close to him, making sure that he is still positioned in front of me.

"So that's how it's gonna be huh Blue?" he murmurs to the raptor moving steadily and calmly as he reaches up to remove the camera from the raptor's head with his free hand.

"Owen," I whisper, hating the way my voice wavered and shock with terror as I spoke and his fingers tighten around mine a fraction.

"It's okay baby, I'm gonna keep you safe, I promised remember? I'm not going to let anything happen to you, we've got too much to do still," he is speaking to me, I know he is and his words somehow bring me comfort despite the situation we were in, despite the fact that he never takes his eyes off the ancient predator in front of him. We all jump a little as the ground begins to shake and the I-rex comes around the corner its very presence enough to chill me to the bone. For a moment I feel as if time is standing still, it is as if the very air has stopped as we standed, shaking, facing this monster but then something incredible happens and the raptors turn on it, leaping to our defense, to Owen's defense and for a second I stare at him in open awe and admiration as he turns and smirks cheekily at my expression before his face falls back into its serious frown as he pulls us towards somewhere to hide. Directing us to a kiosk as he begins shooting at the Indominus.

"We need more," Gray is muttering and Zach, Claire and I all look at him in confusion as he counts again before repeating himself.

"More what?" Claire says as she moves closer to him pulling him into her side even as Zach has his arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Teeth," he replies as if it is the simplest thing in the world and for a second my eyes meet Claire's and then, before I can talk myself out of it, I am on my feet grabbing her radio from her hand and a flare from the emergency box attached to the wall of the kiosk and I am sliding out into the open.

"Taylor," I can hear Owen scream out my name but I don't have time to turn or answer him as I sprint to the T-rex enclosure and instruct Lowrey to open the gate. As I hear the gears begin whirring I take a shaky breath and light the flare, whimpering as the huge monster appears before me and roars. What was I thinking? I really needed to stop this ridiculous hero complex I had suddenly developed and I am blaming Owen for completely by the way. I mean I never used to do this, mind you, I never used to be constantly in life ending situations and the problem was I was sorely ill equipped to deal with them and a combination of Owen and blind luck were the only reason I was still alive right now.

I run then, quicker than I've ever run in my life and just pray that I am in time. When I round the corner and back to the open I see the I-rex trying desperately to get inside the kiosk where I assume the others are trying to hide. Screaming I throw the flare at the monster before falling to the ground as the T-rex roars again, causing the I-rex to pull back and roar too before the two titans launch at one another. For a second I look up and my eyes meet the shocked gaze of Owen but my vision is blocked as a huge tail swings dangerously close to me and I am forced to scuffle backwards behind some sort of rock feature.

"Run," I scream at them as I see them both heading towards the kiosk again and all four of them sprint out and towards me only to be blocked and headed off into a shop front by the fighting monsters. A sudden call of a raptor makes me jump from my hiding place as I see Blue streaking towards the fight and joining it. For a moment I am so engrossed in watching the battle between the huge dinosaurs that I miss them heading for me and only when I hear the frightened screams of Gray and Claire at the last moment do I realise and try to race away from them.

Somehow, I make it to the safety of the wall and then into shop where they are hiding but something is wrong. I felt it hit me, of course I did, but it isn't until I stop in front of them that everything suddenly begins to burn and my abdomen suddenly feels as though it is on fire and I pull my hand away from it to see that it is coated in thick red blood. I glance up my eye meeting Owen's his own filled with fear and anger and something else that I can't quite place. My legs are feeling shaky now, too shaky to hold me up and I slump forwards, I know I should be running still, fighting to get away but the fight seems to have suddenly left me as cold begins to seep into me my body colliding with a shelf of ornaments in the shop we are in, a strangled groan escaping me as I try to move and stand only for my legs to buckle completely and I find myself on the ground.

"Hold on Taylor, please, hold on," I open my eyes to see Zach and Gray leaning over me as Claire tries to do something to my stomach. Something that makes me gurgle out a scream of pain.

"I'm sorry Taylor, I have to stop the bleeding," she is saying frantically and I nod my head at her a little.

"O… Owen," I gasp out and a moment later I feel Gray move away and I feel him beside me, his fingers in my hair.

"I'm here baby, it's okay I'm here," he whispers and I smile as he grips my hand and my fingers hold onto his.

"I've managed to stop most of the bleeding, but she'll need some stitches at the very least we need to get her to a doctor and quickly," Claire is saying and he makes a small noise of distress looking more worried now than he did when we were facing Blue and the others, "it's okay Owen, it's not as bad as it looks," she reassures him and I squeeze his fingers to try and reassure him further that I would be okay.

"Right, let's move then, they're gone but stay close to me anyway until we get to the evacuation area," he says before moving closer to me, "this is going to hurt a bit baby but I need to lift you and you need to be strong for just a little longer okay?" he whispers and I nod before clamping my lips shut and trying not to scream as he lifts me up, holding me close to his chest. "I've got you baby," he murmurs to me and I smile a little despite the pain.

"It's over?" I gasp out the question, pain still pulsing through me and I feel him nod even as small fingers that I can only guess are Gray's take the hand that is hanging limply by my side.

"It's over T, we made it, we won," Owen replies and I can almost feel the exhausted smile that is surely on his face.

"I missed it," I slur slightly and I can feel him chuckle slightly as my eyes drift shut.


End file.
